Park City, Utah, Jan 31 – The first 10 minutes of Benjamin Ree’s documentary “Ibelin” is a story about a family coming to terms with loss after their son and brother passes away at 25 from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. However, as the film goes on, viewers realize that “Ibelin” is actually a story about the [click to continue...]
Lauren Appelbaum
Park City, Utah, Jan 31 – The Sundance hit “Frida” takes viewers through the famed painter’s life and how her acquired disability plays a role throughout Frida Kahlo’s life. As a teenager, she wanted to become a doctor. After acquiring her disability, she found fulfillment in painting. In the opening moments, viewers hear an actor [click to continue...]
Park City, Utah, Jan 31 – As “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” premiered during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, audience members were visibly holding back tears, being pulled into the story of not just Christopher Reeve but also his family. The lives of the mother of his first two children, his wife, and his three [click to continue...]
Park City, January 17 – In 2020, filmmaker and disability advocate Juliet Romeo reached out to Slamdance co-founder Peter Baxter, stressing the need for a program for and by disabled filmmakers. Conversations turned to action and Slamdance Unstoppable was born. In 2021, the virtual Slamdance Film Festival included a showcase of disability-inclusive short films. In [click to continue...]
Park City, January 16 – With one-in-five people having a disability in the U.S. today, the lack of representation – just 1.9 percent of characters in the 100 top-grossing films of 2022 and 8 percent in family films – means that millions of people are unable to see themselves reflected in media. The 2024 Sundance Film Festival (January [click to continue...]
After numerous disability organizations including RespectAbility and FWD-Doc lobbied for disability inclusion, the 2023 UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report is tracking the disability status of actors for the first time. “Recently, a few of the data sources used for this report have begun to collect information about disability,” the report states. “As more than one source [click to continue...]
Ben Spangenberg began as a Fellow in our National Leadership Program shortly after I started working at RespectAbility. By 2017, he was managing the National Leadership Program. Ben truly gave his all when working with Fellows. He knew personally how it felt to be discriminated against in the workplace due to a disability, and he [click to continue...]
While more than 20% of adults in the U.S. live with a mental health condition, a new study has found that mental health conditions continue to be rare in popular films. This study, the third of a series since 2016, was conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in partnership with the American Foundation for [click to continue...]
Dances With Films (DWF:LA), now in its 26th year, champions the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. Always prioritizing important storytelling above all else, this year’s theme of “Peace, Love, & Celluloid” is a nod to some of its powerful programming that promotes healing, highlights social justice, and celebrates inclusivity [click to continue...]
The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) took to the screens – both live in Arkansas and virtual on computers and TV sets throughout the country – for its ninth year. Chaired by Academy Award winner Geena Davis, BFF champions women and diverse voices. According to festival programmers, “over 30% of the (competition) program is comprised of [click to continue...]